Freeport's defense has arguably been the strongest in the Allegheny Conference this season.

When the Yellowjackets squared off against Apollo-Ridge Friday night, that defense was in full form.

Freeport dominated Apollo-Ridge, holding the Vikings' offense to just 88 total yards in a 42-6 victory.

“They are 16 kids, that rotate in and out, that believe in each other,” Freeport coach John Gaillot said. “They just play the game with all 11. There's no one taking plays off.”

Freeport tends to substitute a lot of players in and out on the defensive side, but it had no negative effect on the game. They kept the Vikings from scoring in three of the four quarters, with the exception of an impressive drive that was capped off by a 1-yard touchdown run by Apollo-Ridge quarterback Kyle Fitzroy.

After that one touchdown at the end of the second quarter, Freeport turned up the defense to another level. In the second half, Apollo-Ridge was unable to complete a pass and only amassed 36 yards of offense.

“I think they have a better skillset than we do,” Apollo-Ridge coach John Skiba said. “There's not a lot of fear factor with my offense to put pressure on you.”

While the defense was a huge factor in Freeport's win, the offense was just as effective.

First-year starting quarterback Ryan Weigold took over the game for Freeport in the first quarter with a 33-yard touchdown pass to tight end Josh Beale. Beale caught a second touchdown from Weigold in the second quarter as well. Weigold then went on to throw two more touchdown passes to go along with 169 yards and one rushing score.

“Ryan's really maturing after every game and doing better and better,” Gaillot said. “It's just work ethic. This whole team really works and we take pride in it.”

Weigold is leading Butler County in total yards passing. Weigold continues to show that he is a versatile player who can both throw and run the ball whenever needed.

Against Apollo-Ridge, Weigold controlled the tempo throughout. He had multiple rushes and throws that set up scoring drives for the Yellowjackets.

“The problem with our defense is that we put them in positions to make plays,” Skiba said. “We need to learn how to coach them up better to tackle in spaces.”

Another bright spot for Freeport is running back Ian Miller. He had a huge game, rushing for 138 yards and two touchdowns on 18 carries. Just like Weigold, Miller helped to control the offense and lead the Yellowjackets to victory.

With the win, Freeport improves to 3-0 and is in control of the Allegheny Conference. However, Gaillot said the team hasn't focused on the future whatsoever.

“We go one game at a time,” Gaillot said. “We are focused on tonight's opponent and worry about next week's opponent tomorrow. We're grounded and our kids believe in each other.”